Many of the eight artists have had experiences – eg studying, exhibiting – ineach of the two cultures. The works represent an international style, whilealso assuming a sense of their particular cultural source. For example, the inkworks of Cindy Ng and Ren Han contain reference to traditional Chinese inkpainting without overtly adhering to the styles of the past.

The idea of what constitutes ‘reality’, in terms of human existence in theworld, has always been a subject of philosophical and psychological positionsinherited or adopted by individuals or groups – religious, political, social,academic. The Japanese author, Haruki Murakami, constantly crosses the dividebetween the ‘tangible, everyday’ reality and the subconscious spiritual world,which may be a form of utopia, or dystopia, or both intersecting - memories,supernatural imaginings, fears and aspirations all lead to metaphysical statesof being in which supposed concrete barriers are dissolved or impregnated sothat one is transposed to ‘another world’ – a virtual reality.

The artworks selected by the curator, Reg Newitt (EDGE projects), to addressthe idea of the unknown, do so in many different forms – includingnon-representational and figurative; painting, photomedia, copper sheet,lenticular and video.